Triggers for Blackout

The blackout feature is triggered only by time_signal messages of segmentation
type Other. It is not triggered by splice_insert messages of
any segmentation type, and is not triggered by time_signal messages of any type
except Other.

SCTE-35 messages of type ID "splice insert" and messages of type ID "time signal"
can both include "Other" time_signal messages. Therefore, when enabling blackout,
the ad avail mode is not
relevant. Blackout works the same with either mode.

The segmentation ID triggers blackout based on “events,” as shown in the following
table.

SCTE-35 Segmentation Type

Blacked out

Chapter Start

Start blacking
out

Chapter End

End blacking out

Network Start

End blacking out

Network End

Start blacking out

Program Start

Start blacking out

Program End

End blacking out

Unscheduled Event Start

Start blacking out

Unscheduled Event End

End blacking out

For example, if the blackout feature is enabled, then blanking always occurs when
a Program Start message is encountered and always ends when a Program End message
is
encountered.

Note that the triggers for blackout on a Network event are different from the
other events:

With Network, blanking starts when the Network End instruction is encountered.

With other events, blanking starts when the "Event Start" instruction is encountered.

End Event Trigger Hierarchy

Events have the following "strength hierarchy."

SCTE-35 Segmentation Type

Strength

Network

1 (Strongest)

Unscheduled Event

2

Program

3

Chapter

4 (Weakest)

A blackout can be ended only by an event of equal or greater strength than the
event that started it.

For example, if the blackout is started by a Program Start, it can be ended by a
Network Start, an Unscheduled Event End or a Program End. It cannot be ended by a
Chapter End. AWS Elemental MediaLive ignores the “end blackout” instruction implied
by the Chapter
End.